Iran’s Options in a Showdown with America Are All Bad

Victor Davis Hanson

Trump governs the tempo of the confrontation.

"After losing its top strategist, military commander, and arch-terrorist, Qasem Soleimani, the Iranian theocracy is weighing responses.
"One, Iran can quiet down and cease military provocations.
"After attacking tankers off its coast, destroying an oil refinery in Saudi Arabia, shooting down a U.S. drone, and being responsible for the killing and wounding of Americans in Iraq, Iran could now keep quiet.
"It might accept that its strategy of escalation has failed to lead to any quantifiable advantage. Trump did not prove a passive “Twitter tiger,” as his critics mocked. Instead, he upped the stakes to Iran’s disadvantage and existential danger.
"The chances, however, for such a logical and passive readjustment by Iran are nil.
"Iran believes that Trump’s beefed-up sanctions have all but destroyed its economy and could now extend to secondary boycotts of nations trading with Iran. U.S. sanctions have also squeezed Iranian expeditionary efforts to forge a permanent hegemony and a Shiite crescent extending to the Mediterranean." . . .

. . . "Given the quick criticism of Soleimani’s killing from Trump’s progressive domestic opponents, and given the Obama administration’s past appeasement in response to Iranian provocations, Tehran might conclude that a hit-and-pause strategy is preferable.It could incite Trump’s political opponents to brand him a warmonger who acted illegally by “assassinating” Soleimani." . . .

 Trump Calls the Ayatollah’s Bluff  "The successful operation against Qassem Soleimani, head of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard, is a stunning blow to international terrorism and a reassertion of American might. It will also test President Trump's Iran strategy. It is now Trump, not Ayatollah Khamenei, who has ascended a rung on the ladder of escalation by killing the military architect of Iran's Shiite empire. For years, Iran has set the rules. It was Iran that picked the time and place of confrontation. No more." . . .

 And indeed, this is what the Democrat/Ayatollah alliance is doing:
Democrats pile on to blame America for downing the Ukrainian plane
"It's hard to recall, but once upon a time, the majority of American politicians, including Democrats, were able to set aside partisan bickering for at least a moment in the face of foreign aggression against the United States.  After 9/11, for example, Congress spontaneously responded by singing Irving Berlin's "God Bless America.' "

Investigate Obama stopping Project Cassandra

Don Surber

Meanwhile, though, most of the media has ignored a larger scandal called Project Cassandra. Politico was the exception.

. . . "The investigation began under President George Walker Bush. Obama stopped it as a favor to his friends, the ayatollahs.

"The story said investigators "followed cocaine shipments, some from Latin America to West Africa and on to Europe and the Middle East, and others through Venezuela and Mexico to the United States. They tracked the river of dirty cash as it was laundered by, among other tactics, buying American used cars and shipping them to Africa. And with the help of some key cooperating witnesses, the agents traced the conspiracy, they believed, to the innermost circle of Hezbollah and its state sponsors in Iran.

" 'But as Project Cassandra reached higher into the hierarchy of the conspiracy, Obama administration officials threw an increasingly insurmountable series of roadblocks in its way, according to interviews with dozens of participants who in many cases spoke for the first time about events shrouded in secrecy, and a review of government documents and court records. When Project Cassandra leaders sought approval for some significant investigations, prosecutions, arrests and financial sanctions, officials at the Justice and Treasury departments delayed, hindered or rejected their requests.' "

Image by Ghenghis Gary

The Democrat-CNN/MSNBC alliance: a great threat to this country

I feel our main threat is the Ayatollahs-Democrats-CNN/MSNBC alliance that makes such a perfect home for Trump-Haters who are made more vindictive by the Presidents taunts. TD

Photosnark by Rich Terrell

Killing terrorists is how you...kill off terrorism   . . . "Thank goodness we have a president who understands that the way to reduce terrorism is to cut off the funding and take out the terrorists themselves instead of leave them to maim and kill at will, including Americans. 

"Most of the media make the world much more dangerous as they cheer for whatever Democrats say and seek to destroy Trump no matter how much good he does to strengthen and protect Americans." . . . 

Democrats implicitly are advising tyrants to give terrorists an official title so they will be protected from harm  . . . "Then they can roam the world, working with other terrorist groups to plan and execute attacks.  If a leader of any country decides that these terrorists should be killed, he will be said to have escalated tensions by assassinating a government official.  If that sounds stupid, it is." . . .

Most of the media make the world much more dangerous as they cheer for whatever Democrats say and do and seek to destroy Trump, no matter how much good he does to strengthen and protect Americans.

Trump is Damned if He Does and Damned if He Doesn’t

"President Trump announced that tensions with Iran have eased Wednesday after Iran fired off wild missile shots missing US personnel. There won’t be a war. The president’s good news was quickly contested by his two leading Democrat critics, Damned if He Does and Damned if He Doesn’t"  Comedian Argus Hamilton

[California] Dem Rep Blames Trump for Iranian Plane Crash  . . . "Rep. Jackie Speier (D., Calif.) on Thursday said that Iran's shooting down of a Ukrainian airliner was collateral damage from President Donald Trump's killing of Iranian general Qassem Soleimani.

"CNN anchor Wolf Blitzer had asked Speier if she believed Iran confused the commercial flight for a U.S. military plane, suggesting that "it certainly sounds like it was a mistake by the Iranians." Speier did not mention Iran in her response, only implicating Trump in the downed flight.' . . .

CNN Fails to Disclose Its Iranian Guest Threatened to Kill American Hostages in 1979

Legal Insurrection
“She herself said she would personally shoot U.S. hostages in the head if American troops came to liberate the hostages.”

. . . "Tyler O’Neil reports at PJ Media:

CNN Gives Friendly Interview to Iranian Woman Who Said She Would Kill U.S. Hostages in 1979

On Tuesday night, CNN aired an interview between its international anchor Christiane Amanpour and Masoumeh Ebtekar, currently Iran’s vice president for women and family affairs. Amanpour did not once mention Ebtekar’s connection to the Iran Hostage Crisis in 1979, however. Ebtekar was one of the pro-Islamic Revolution students who seized the U.S. Embassy. She herself said she would personally shoot U.S. hostages in the head if American troops came to liberate the hostages.

In a brief segment cut from a 15-minute interview, Amanpour asked the Iranian leader whether the strike that killed Quds Force leader Qasem Soleimani had brought Iranians together.

“I’m saying that the American government — the American president — made a serious miscalculation. They made a serious mistake by assassinating, by taking this terrorist action against Commander Soleimani,” Ebtekar said.

"Amanpour shared the segment on Twitter: . . ."

Comedian Argus Hamilton sized up CNN's reputation as a news source pretty quickly:
"Iran’s Major General Qaissim Solieman’s casket was carted through the streets in Teheran to a memorial service Tuesday. The huge crowd broke into a stampede, killing fifty mourners. That evening, CNN was reporting that President Trump killed fifty people during a Muslim funeral service"

CNN deserves every pox it gets

Court documents, Nicholas Sandmann v. CNN  I love those words. TD

Couldn'ta happened to a better bunch of guys.

CNN's Tehran Reporter Throws Softballs, Eggs On Iranian Spokesman to Echo CNN on Trump   "On Monday evening CNN's Brian Stelter tweeted that is patriotic to question and be skeptical of leaders who may stumble into a war. Apparently such sentiment only goes one way at CNN as CNN's Fred Pleitgen was in Tehran for a softball interview on Tuesday with Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif that ended up being just another one of the network's many anti-Trump segments.

"Pleitgen asked Zarif, "Your government and your leadership and the military here has vowed to take action against the United States. What kind of retaliation is that going to be?" Zarif then rattled off his talking points:" . . .

. . . "At that point Pleitgen could've challenged Zarif. Why was Kata'ib Hezbollah trying kill Americans in Iraq, despite the fact that we are there with the permission of the Iraqi government? Why was Soleimani in Iraq? If the desire of the Iraqi people is that the U.S. leave, then why has the Iran-friendly prime minister been forced to resign? Why did the Sunni and Kurdish parties boycott the vote he referenced?

"But he didn't:" . . . 

What serious press agency would ever hire any of these people from CNN? I had respected Jake Tapper but cannot fathom why he chooses to stay part of that disreputable demagogue press. TD

Gambling With Lives: Acosta Claims Trump Had ‘Dangerous Night at the Casino’

CNN: making America better! Report: Nancy Pelosi Got Idea to Withhold Articles of Impeachment by Watching CNN

Hundreds of restaurants closed in San Francisco in 2019

KRON4  "It’s a disturbing trend in a city where foodies come from all over the world to taste the treats.
"A new report by Yelp shows that nearly 500 restaurants closed in San Francisco last year — and some local restaurant owners say they don’t see that trend stopping.
"Jardinare, which closed in the spring after 21 years in business, was one of 464 restaurants that closed its doors in 2019. 
"That number also includes food trucks and deli’s like Lucca Ravioli in the Mission, which shut down after 94 years.  
"The owners of Dosa, a small chain of South Indian restaurants, shut down it’s Valencia Street location in September after 15 years.
"“It’s not surprising to me at all, I think we’re witnessing the death of restaurants as we know it in San Francisco,” said Ben Bleiman, San Francisco Bar Owner’s Alliance. “I think it’s a slow extension but it’s happening and I think 2020 is gonna be even worse.”
"Bleiman is with the San Francisco Bar Owners Alliance.
"One of his businesses is a bar and restaurant in the Mission called Dr Teeth.  
"He says the City of San Francisco makes it very hard and very expensive for small businesses with employer mandates like Healthy SF, skyrocketing payroll tax, as well as taxing things like tables and chairs. 
"He says that financial burden of doing business is passed on to the customers, which makes going out more of a luxury.

“It doesn’t make financial sense to go out anymore. At my bar Dr. Teeth a burger and a beer, a burger with cheese and a beer after taxes tips and fees is $27 and we can’t blame millennials or whoever.”
"He says the high cost of food is due to policies implemented by the City of San Francisco. 
“The reason the burger and the beer is $27 is primarily because of policies that our San Francisco City Hall have implemented in the last 10 years that have forced us to raise our prices to the point where some tenable,” he said. " . . .

Ted Cruz Blasts Pete Buttigieg for Blaming Downed Ukrainian Plane on Trump Administration

Such a lack of class, especially from someone I expected better of. This is more the style of Warren and Biden. But we knew it would happen from this party of demagogues. TD

Breitbart  "Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) blasted Pete Buttigieg (D) after the former South Bend mayor claimed that the 176 individuals aboard the Ukrainian airliner that crashed after taking off from Tehran were victims of an “unnecessary and unwanted military tit for tat” spurred by the Trump administration.

"The Ukrainian airliner’s crash coincided with Iran launching over a dozen ballistic missiles targeting Iraqi bases housing U.S. troops. U.S. officials suspect that the plane may have been shot down by Iran, calling the scenario “highly likely.”

“ 'Innocent civilians are now dead because they were caught in the middle of an unnecessary and unwanted military tit for tat,” Buttigieg tweeted in part, subtly hinting at President Trump’s decision to eliminate Iran’s top terror chief, Qasem Soleimani: . . ."

. . . "Cruz took issue with Buttigieg’s implication that the Trump administration was responsible, in part, for the tragic loss.

“ 'Uh, Pete, they weren’t ‘caught in the middle.’ They were shot down BY IRAN. Military incompetence by the leading state sponsor of terrorism,” Cruz responded.

“ 'Just because Dems hate Trump doesn’t justify false equivalence w/ Iran,” he added. “Soleimani was a brutal terrorist who killed hundreds of Americans”:  . .  .

Democrats, CNN, Hollywood, and Iran: soulmates to the end

Rich Terrell

Graham accuses Republicans dissenting on Iran of ‘empowering the enemy’

NY Post  "Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) accused two Republican senators of “empowering the enemy” for supporting a Democratic war powers resolution that would limit President Trump’s capacity to use military force amid escalating attacks and tensions with Iran.
"Responding to comments from Sens. Mike Lee (R-Utah) and Rand Paul (R-Ky.) in which they slammed a meeting with Trump administration officials on Iranian aggression, Graham offered some choice words for his colleagues.
“ 'They’re libertarians. I think they’re overreacting, quite frankly. Go debate all you want to. I’m going to debate you. Trust me, I’m going to let people know that at this moment in time to play this game with the war powers act…whether you mean to or not, you’re empowering the enemy,” the Senate Judiciary chairman told reporters Wednesday.
"Following a Tuesday evening briefing for senators on the unfolding situation with Iran, Lee and Paul expressed their fury and exasperation at the meeting to reporters." . . .
. . . 
"Paul jumped in with a similar sentiment, saying, “They have justified the killing of an Iranian general as being something that Congress gave them permission to do in 2002. That is absurd, that’s an insult.”
"Following Graham’s remarks, the Kentucky Republican went on CNN to slam his GOP colleague’s choice of words" . . .

So where do dissenting Republicans go for a sympathetic ear? Why CNN, of course!

Trump Unbound

J.R. Dunn  "One major point is being overlooked concerning the “impeachment”: now that the impeachment weapon has been unsheathed, and swung, and shattered into myriad pieces without so much as scratching its target, the Dems have absolutely nothing to use against Trump. In fact, it can be doubted that they will ever again have anything to use against Trump.
"Impeachment is over – Pelosi admitted as much when she issued her pro forma State of the Nation invitation to the President only days after the impeachment vote. She has still failed to present the articles to the Senate, but it’s all anticlimax at this point. Only a few hysterics on either side of the spectrum have any doubt as to how this is going to work out.

So what do they come up with next? Well, nothing much. Al Green (I’m convinced that he got most of his votes from people who confused him with the great gospel singer) may bluster all he likes about “another impeachment,” but it’s all gas. A second impeachment on the heels of a failed first attempt would simply be a plunge into the depths of absurdity. If impeachment is an awe-inspiring spectacle of a democratic government arisen in wrath, a second attempt scarcely rises to the level of a joke. Best just to appoint Green to the chairmanship of the Permanent Trump Impeachment Committee and be done with it.

"No – they hit him with an attempt to subvert electors, with the Mueller investigation, with the emoluments clause, with the 25th Amendment, and then with impeachment. And all of it simply bounced off. As it stands, Donald Trump is now beyond any legal, procedural method of harassment. He has been investigated to a fare-thee-well, and less has been found than would on you, me, or the Dalai Lama. Consider how much we know about his persecutors – Pelosi, Tlaib, Omar -- and then look at Trump." . . .

Cocaine Mitch pounds Nancy Pelosi into a powder  ("Cocaine Mitch"? Declared false)
. . . "It's gotten so bad it's now Senate Democrats who are warning Pelosi to drop the clown show, because her delay as leverage was starting to render Democrats irrelevant." . . .
. . . " The impreachment process is not only rendering Democrats irrelevant as voters get bored of hearing each day of Pelosi's delay, coming on the heels of her rush-rush impeachment, it's actually damaging them." . . .
. . . "Now she's blown it. Caught between the baying-for-impeachment Squad and the solid wall of Mitch McConnell, who like her, understands power, she's trapped. It's either get impeachment over with, or let it bleed her party out of power." . . .

Pelosi now has Democrats calling her out

Earl of Taint

Tick...tick...tick -- The stench of Epstein closing in on Bill Clinton

Monica Showalter  "Much of the fallout of the Jeffrey Epstein pedophilia among the powerful scandal has fallen onto Prince Andrew of U.K., an insignificant second son of Queen Elizabeth II. The pervert's suicide, though, and the increasingly suspicion-arousing circumstances point to much more important people. As I've argued before, the media scrum around Andrew seemed to be an attempt to deflect attention from more powerful players involved with Epstein as the story burns out and the public loses interest.

"Beneficiary number remains is Bill Clinton, whose associations with Epstein are pretty astonishing. He's been listed on the flight logs of more than two dozen Epstein "Lolita Express" flights. He's been a regular at Epstein's "cowboy village" in New Mexico with its group showers which, based on the word of maintence staff, seemed to be all about perversion out of the public eye. He's been seen with all those candy stripers.

"Well, now the lid's starting to bounce on that boiling pot, and maybe too soon for Bill's tastes. The Sun of the U.K.'s new U.S. edition, now has an astonishing series of photos of Clinton livin' it up on Epstein's airplanes, Clinton posing with Epstein's accused pimp, Ghislaine Maxwell, and Clinton whooping it up with underage staff, generally partying hearty on the pervert's dime. Yet to this day he claims to know nothing about what Epstein was about, never noticed a thing." . . .

PRESIDENT AND THE 'PIMP' Bill Clinton poses with Epstein’s ‘pimp’ Ghislaine Maxwell . . . on board private jet, the ‘Lolita Express’
"However, it will further raise concerns about how some of the world's most famous and powerful people were drawn into Epstein's circle at a time when he was committing horrific sex crimes."


Apparently  cigars are acceptable on flights.